Cannabis Grow Guide Part 2: 3 – Grow Stages

Germination

We recommend using the paper towel germination method to get your seeds to sprout.

You will need:

  • 2 paper towels
  • Bottled water
  • 2 plates
  • Cannabis seeds

Once you’ve gathered the required items, all you need do is:

  1. Add some water to the paper towels
  2. Drain out the excess- the paper towels should be damp but not soaking wet
  3. Place one of the moist paper towels in a container
  4. Arrange your seeds, one by one, ensuring you leave an inch between
  5. Cover the seeds using the remaining paper towel. Re-check to make sure that there is no excess water left on the plate.
  6. Put your seeds in a dark, warm place. If the room temperature is too cold (under 55 degrees Fahrenheit), consider utilizing a heating rug.
  7. Monitor the germinating seeds closely, and add some water, if required so that they do not dry out.
  8. Within 20-120 hours, you will notice a taproot emerge from your seeds.
  9. Once this taproot is about 5mm long, you can transplant your seeds into potting soil or another growing medium.

 

Seedling stage

You’ll note that your seedling pot plant has more fan-shaped leaves as it matures. In the beginning, the seed produces leaves with just one ridged blade. The blades of the leaves will increase in number as the plant continues to grow (3, 5, 7, etc.). Between 5 and 7 blades per leaf are typical for a mature cannabis plant; however, some seedlings may have more.

Make sure you don’t over-water the seedling phase of the plant since its roots are so tiny. Moreover, the plant is susceptible to disease and mold at this phase. It has to be kept in a clean environment and monitored for excessive moisture.

Many growers start their seedlings indoors under artificial light to support their seedlings through this sensitive period of cannabis development.

Buying a clone seedling from growers or breeders eliminates the seed germination step.

Vegetative stage

The vegetative stage of cannabis is when the plant takes off in terms of its development potential. Your plant’s roots and leaves are expanding fast now that it has been moved into an enormous container. Topping or training your plants is also a good idea at this time.

Be aware of how much water you give your plant as it grows. The roots of your plant will begin to extend outward as it matures. Therefore you should start watering farther away from the stalk in the soil so that the roots can absorb water more effectively. Plants thrive on the ground that is rich in nutrients. Make sure they’re getting enough nitrogen at this point.

You can tell whether your plants are male or female a few weeks into the vegetative stage because they will begin to display sex organs. Males must be kept apart from females to prevent pollination.

Flowering stage

For a cannabis plant, the blooming stage marks the end of its life cycle. This is the time of year when the fruits of your labor begin to bear fruit. Most strains blossom around 8-9 weeks, but some, particularly Sativa, might go longer.

Cut down on light to a 16/12 cycle indoors to start the flowering stage. There are three stages to the flowering process:

  • Weeks 1-3 of flower initiation: Pistils, or white hairs, which are the first signs of buds on female plants, will continue to grow as the plant matures.
  • At this point in the blooming process, the plant will cease growing, and the buds will begin to plump up.
  • Plants get more sticky, and more blooming occurs later (weeks six and on). The pistils’ color will inform you when to harvest when they are ready for harvesting in the last weeks.
  • In the transition from the vegetative stage to the blooming stage, there are several things to consider:
  • Pruning during the blooming period might disrupt a plant’s hormones, therefore avoid doing so.

Harvest

It’s just as vital to know how to cultivate cannabis as it is to know when and how to harvest it. Trichomes, the microscopic glandular stalk and crown frequently referred to as “crystals,” may be examined with a magnifying scope or loupe. With their bulbous translucent tops, they seem like small glass mushrooms.

Once the trichomes have started to turn milky, you should harvest your buds.

Drying and curing

Your buds will be cut and hung to dry after harvest. Based on the humidity and heat in your region, this procedure may take a week or two. If you want to avoid the “green” chlorophyll flavor, it’s better to keep this procedure going longer than three or four days. A humidifier may be necessary if your nuggets are drying out too soon in your drying chamber.

To prevent mold and bud rot, never let a fan blow straight on your drying colas. Instead, circulate the air to keep it moving.

You’re set to cure your buds once you’ve established that they’ve dried enough. Curing will gradually “sweat” out any residual liquid that remains in the bud since there is still a lot of water there.

Use opaque jars and keep them in a cool, dark area. Make sure the jars aren’t too dry by opening them up and seeing whether there is condensation inside the glass. Your buds’ water will slowly make its way out of the center of your plant when you open the jar to refresh the air. During the curing process, your buds should be able to burn and taste wonderfully.

Feeding cannabis plants

Weed plants require generous amounts of nutrients throughout their lifecycle for growth and maturity. Cannabis plants require substantial quantities of three nutrients. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three macronutrients that make up the foundation of cannabis plant health. Growers are supposed to feed their plants to help them develop even faster and provide a superior end product. Below is a general guideline for feeding cannabis plants throughout stages;

  1. Seedling – Cannabis seedlings get all of their nutrients from their seed and can absorb water in a humid and warm environment. Seedlings don’t need any nutrients until they are about 3-4 weeks old.
  2. Vegetative – During the vegetative stage, the plant would require a base nutrient higher in nitrogen and lower in phosphorus and potassium.
  3. Flowering – During the flowering stage, your plants will require less nitrogen and increased potassium to stimulate flowering.

Sexing cannabis plants

Cannabis plants have a gender. However, most growers are only interested in growing female plants so they can harvest the bud. Sexing cannabis plants is significant to stop males from pollinating the grow space. Cultivators must detect and eliminate males as soon as possible if they want to produce resinous blossoms.

They will start producing seeds and stop producing resin after their pollen fertilizes a female bloom. The sex of a cannabis plant is determined by the growth of pistil hairs originating from a pistillate calyx (female), or tiny round-shaped balls determine the sex of a cannabis plant (male).

Sexing can be done around four weeks after germination. Growers can use a magnifying tool like a jeweler’s loupe.

Keeping the grow space clean and tidy

The most vital tip is to keep yourself clean. It is highly recommended that you change into a new set of clothes meant solely for growing space usage before entering. It is also recommended that long hair be covered and that one’s hands be clean. This way, you will avoid bringing infections and pests into your room.

No pooling water. It is all too tempting to let water collect in puddles and pools on your grow room’s floors, but leaving them there can be disastrous for relative humidity levels and raise the risk of mold, fungus, and other diseases growing. You should wipe up spills as soon as possible if they occur while feeding.

Keep the grow room’s equipment clean. Keep things off the ground the maximum amount possible. Install shelves in a nearby area and use them to store anything that can fit on a shelf, such as fertilizer, gloves, pruning shears, and so forth. Fans, thermometers, and everything else that has to be in the room should be mounted or hung.

Trim and prune your plants often. It is vital to ensure that plants are pruned regularly and that dead and dying leaves are eliminated. Pruning is essential for healthy plant growth and, when done correctly, can significantly boost your yield. Removing dead and dying leaves is good practice in general because the presence of dead plant material invariably leads to mold growth.

Keep your water supply clean. To avoid nutrient build-up, clean the pipes, pump and tank regularly. After each usage, if possible, clean the container used to mix and give nutrient solutions. Because the particles in solution for organic nutrients are generally larger than for non-organic nutrients, they demand special attention.

Pruning and trimming

Pruning is the process of removing dead or low-light cannabis leaves and branches so that the pot plant can concentrate its resources on developing buds in other vegetative areas. Growers usually cut off bits of their plants to allow an adequate amount of light to all sections for high-quality buds.

Pruning also creates open space within the cannabis plant’s core, enabling more air to circulate easily and more light to dive deep, keeping the plant healthy and vibrant and generating higher-quality buds. While pruning, make use of this chance to inspect your cannabis plants and check on their health, checking for pests, fertilizer deficits, and soil difficulties.

When trimming cannabis plants, trim them just after they have finished flowering. The plants are growing rapidly at this stage, and any considerable pruning could shock them, inhibiting their growth. You could, however, remove some dead leaves or small, unproductive branches, but excessive pruning is not recommended during the flowering stage.





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